Not Such a Perfect Rose
by BeingMyself5
Summary: Rose doesn't know how, but suddenly her life just got a whole lot more interesting... Rose x Scorpius / Hugo x Teddy WARNING: RATED M FOR A REASON.
1. Who Ever Thought This Would Happen?

Disclaimer:  
Me: Hey, J.K. Rowling! Do I-  
J.K.R.: No, EmoGal, you do NOT own Harry Potter, I DO, damn it!  
(Not actual conversation. No "Me" 's were actually cursed at in the making of this disclaimer. XD)

A/N: Hey everyone and welcome to my first HP fanfic! I'm super excited to be working on it and I hope you like it! R&R please! It would mean a lot to me if you did! I had to do a_ ton_ of research on the next generation before I could make this story possible. By the way, Rose is a sixth year and Hugo is a fifth year in this story. I've made sure that everyone has their age correct. **Warning: Suggestive themes.**

EAN: = Editing Author's Note. If you want full details, see the first chapter of my completed fic, The Story of Renesmee's Life. Now! I have changed up quite a bit with this work. First of all, it's not in first person anymore. It's in third. So some things might be a smidgen (Did you know that's actually a word?) different. Second, Hugo isn't a stereotypical emo child anymore. AT ALL. I got sick of the idea and abandoned it. As for Teddy … well, he's always had bright blue hair. ;]

* * *

Chapter 1: Who Ever Thought This Would Happen?

"Rose, _will you just shut up?" _Hugo, brother to Rose, said sarcastically. "I'm _trying_ to listen to Senses Fail!" This was one of his favorite bands.

"Hugo, _you_ shut it, _I'm_ trying to talk to Teddy!" Rose whispered viciously. Returning to her conversation, she spoke to Teddy nonchalantly. "Yeah, it's just Hugo being his usual annoying self."

_"I've never found him to be annoying,"_ said Teddy, seemingly uninterested with the subject.

"Rose, Hugo, _enough,"_ Ron interjected, suddenly becoming interested in parenting the two teenage Gryffindors. "You've done enough bickering to annoy even You-Know-Who to death!"

"Voldemort's already dead," Hugo pointed out blandly. He had fun watching Ron shiver with fear at the use of the dead wizard's name.

The family was driving to The Leaky Cauldron, so they could get to Diagon Alley, and Rose was on her cell phone while Hugo was listening to his MP3 player. Normally they wouldn't have come across such Muggle-used items, but their Grandpa Arthur had given the things to them on Christmas a couple years back, insisting that they show him how to use them if they ever got a chance. It was rare that Ron would actually use the car, but somehow he had been convinced on this particular day.

Rose whispered when she resumed talking to Teddy once more. "So anyway, we were talking about Hugo and how he _seriously_ needs to tell our parents about his so-called boyfri-"

"Shut up!" Hugo hissed, slapping his hand over his sister's mouth and grabbing her phone, flipping it shut.

"Who's what?" their father squeaked in surprise from the front seat, slamming on the breaks - luckily there was no one around - and turning his already slightly-trembling body towards the back of the car.

Hugo was looking shocked, betrayed, and most of all, seriously afraid. Rose was considering slapping his face so that he could move again, but quickly decided against it.

"Hugo… Is there something going on that I don't know about?" Ron asked, his ears turning bright red.

Hugo wasn't going to say anything - he was still too shocked and angry with Rose for blurting about his boyfriend to Teddy. And in front of his father, no less! Of course, she hadn't intentionally said it right then, but Teddy already knew and they had been talking about it before the family even left the house that day, so she kind of forgot about being in front of other people.

"Um, Dad…" Hugo began slowly, his voice shaking. He clearly hadn't been planning on telling his father about this anytime soon. "Uh… I'm … uh … I … I'm gay," he finally said in a rush, quietly and with a huge relief.

"What did you say? I couldn't hear you."

"Uh…"

Rose swept into the rescue for her poor little brother. "He said that he's gay."

Hugo turned his head and glared at her, but the look slowly changed into a glance of eternal thanks.

"Y-you-you're _gay?"_ he asked in disbelief. "But ... but what happened to-"

"I was never dating Cecilia; she's just a good friend of mine," Hugo said, his voice slowly returning to its normal pitch.

"Th-then who are you… Oh, never mind," he mumbled. "But I'm not telling your mother."

Hugo nodded solemnly, slowly turning his head to look out the window of the car.

"Can I have my phone back now?" his sister asked as patiently as she could.

"Oh yeah…" He didn't turn but passed her the phone back.

She redialed Teddy's number and waited for him to pick up.

_"Hugo hang up your phone?"_ he laughed.

"Yeah, and he finally told Dad."

_"He told you who he's dating?"_ he gasped, sounding almost ... afraid?

"No … Dad was about to ask but he was confused so he just dropped it."

"I was not confused!" Ron said indignantly, starting the car back up and driving down the road again.

"Anyway, Hugo is turning as red as a beet so I think we better drop the subject."

"I am _not_ as red as a beet!" he protested, his cheeks blushing brighter still.

"Yeah, and Santa is real! But my point is-" The sound of Teddy's breathing had been replaced by a loud, annoying beeping in her ear. "Crap, my phone just died! Hugo, can I borrow yours? Just long enough to tell Teddy that I'll call him back later?"

"I didn't bring it," he grumbled, still blushing. This was a lie, of course. The real reason was that he didn't want her to see the name he had listed Teddy's number under - or his screensaver, for that matter.

"Shit," she mumbled under her breath.

"Rose Weasley! What is your problem today? Ratting out your brother, cursing - I've never seen you act this way!"

_That's because I do it when you're not looking,_ she thought.

* * *

"Okay kids, now you each get three galle-"

"Dad, come _on,_ you're second in command at the Auror's office! Just behind Uncle Harry, who just so happens to _lead_ the department!" Hugo complained unnecessarily. He would always pump their father for extra money whenever he got the chance.

"Oh, alright, I suppose that's true…" He handed them both five galleons and then went into the ice cream shop down the road.

"You're welcome," Hugo smirked. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go meet up with a very close _friend."_

Rose raised an eyebrow.

"No, for the last time, I won't tell you who he is! You wouldn't even know he existed if it wasn't for stupid Lily!"

"Hey, don't say that about our cousin! It's not her fault that she overheard you talking to him on the phone!"

"Whatever."

She watched as he walked up the steps to The Three Broomsticks and slowly stepped inside. She heard a squeal of happiness a second later and then something that sounded like someone embracing someone else.

In some part of her mind, she was instantly curious to find out who her brother was dating. In another part of her mind, it said to just leave him alone and let him be happy. In the last part, she worried about her own relationship. Or lack thereof.

_I _really_ need to get a life,_ she found herself thinking. _Or maybe a Butterbeer - and then a life. It couldn't hurt to just walk in for a second… Well, it probably could, but…_

In spite of her thoughts, she grabbed the invisibility cloak that her Uncle Harry had let her borrow and pulled it over her head. She climbed up the steps and opened the rusty door quietly, hoping no one would notice. Quickly she saw Hugo near the back, holding hands with someone she didn't immediately recognize. He had just past chin-length blue hair that was slightly spiked up in the back and on the sides, a smidge of brightly-colored eyeshadow here and there. The guy looked like he was probably a few inches taller than him, although it was nearly impossible to tell when Hugo was so obviously sitting in his lap.

He seemed like the kind of guy Hugo would like, even though they were clearly polar opposites. With Hugo's wavy, bright red hair and splay of freckles, they looked nothing alike, nor did they appear as if they had anything in common. If you didn't know Hugo, you'd be surprised at how much he _wasn't_ a geek.

The unidentified boy whispered something in Hugo's ear that caused him to blush. The closer Rose walked to them, the better she could make out who it was.

Teddy.

She quickly strode over to their table and yanked the cloak down from over her head furiously. She yelled incredulously, "Oh my God! Teddy? You're dating _Teddy?_ Like, Teddy, who I was just on the phone with, Teddy?"

"Rose? What are you- Oh, bloody hell," Hugo yelped, disentangling himself from his boyfriend. "Dad's coming! Quick, act natural!"

"But, darling, this _is_ nat-"

"Rose, Hugo, I need your book li- Oh, Teddy! How are you?" Ron asked, completely oblivious to how Hugo kept staring at Teddy anxiously and Teddy was trying his best to look away.

Somehow, Teddy managed to maintain a bored expression, and said slowly, "Pretty good."

"Good, very good… Oh, wait," he slapped his face, "I have your lists right here!" He pulled them out of his pocket and shook his head. "Sorry kids. Anyway, if you're going to get anything from Triple W, you need to head over there now, 'cause we're leaving in thirty minutes."

"Alright Dad, see you later," Hugo said, his tone an octave higher than usual. Luckily for him, no one took note of it.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Rose finally said when Ron was out of earshot. Hugo went back to practically sitting in Teddy's lap, while the latter contentedly laid his head on the other's. "I mean, you _do_ realize that there is a _ten year age difference_ between you guys, right?"

They nodded and rolled their eyes - they'd heard all this before when they had came out to a mutual friend.

"And this is exactly why I didn't want her to find out I was dating her best friend," Hugo mumbled, mostly to himself.

Rose was shocked into silence. Her best guy friend was dating her _brother!_ And Teddy was twenty-five - although he looked about seventeen, and anyone you would ask would tell you so - but Hugo was only _fifteen!_ How was she _supposed_ to take this news?

"Well, this is an interesting pairing indeed," a mocking voice drawled.

Rose spun around and looked directly into the eyes of Scorpius Malfoy, who just so happened to swing an arm around her shoulders and give a tight squeeze.

"Missed me, Rosie?" he asked sarcastically.

"Stay away from her, Malfoy," Teddy said, standing up with his wand raised; Hugo quickly followed suit.

"Well, isn't this cute? The fairy and the geek are trying to protect you."

"That's it," Teddy snapped, forcefully grabbing Rose's arm and swinging her into Hugo before pressing his wand to Malfoy's throat. "One more bloody word about my friends and you _will_ be missing an arm or a leg. This is one of those bloody times that I wish I had been born a were-"

"Break it up, break it up!" Tom Jr., the barman, said. "Come on, get out you four! No more disturbances in my father's bar!" He shoved them through the door and then slammed it in their faces.

"So much for getting a Butterbeer," Rose muttered to herself.

"Thanks a bunch, Lupin! Now none of us can have any fun!" Scorpius whined.

"Oh Scorp, shut up."

_"Scorp?"_ Teddy asked, surprised. "Since when have you given that douchebag a name?"

"Douchebag?" Scorpius cried indignantly.

"Oh, Teddy, you know that I've been dating Malfoy here for the last two years!" she said in a singsong voice.

Hugo was outraged. "You-"

Rose rolled her eyes and Scorpius gave a nervous laugh. "I'm _kidding._ Do you _seriously_ think that I would date _him?"_ In reality, Scorpius actually _had_ asked her out two years ago, but she had turned him down. However, since then she had gained a strong friendship with him. The only one who knew was her cousin, Albus, who was also friends with him. It was their little secret...

"Well, I guess I should be going now. Me, the douchebag!" Scorpius called merrily.

When he was finally out of sight, Hugo said, "Let's head off to Uncle George's, 'kay? We only have about fifteen more minutes."

* * *

"And this is my newest item for sale! Proud to present- Oh! Hello there Teddy, Hugo, Rose," George said, dropping some type of box and walking over to the group.

"What was that you had just then, Uncle George?" Hugo asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh, _that…"_ There was a short pause in which George had the decency to look embarrassed. "Those were the new strawberry condoms - not available to those under seventeen," he said sharply.

"And what happens when you put them on?" Teddy asked. "Bruises, bite marks, c-"

"No, they do what they're supposed to do…"

"Ah. Be right back, then…" Teddy slinked away, grabbing one of the boxes and winking at Hugo, who blushed furiously and stood open-mouthed. Then, snapping back to attention, turned back to Rose and George. They stood in silence for a moment until Rose burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" George demanded, oblivious to the nature of the situation that was going on.

"Oh, nothing… Just the fact that your little policy isn't going to do a 'lick' of good in some cases…" And then Rose proceeded to burst into laughter again while Hugo glared in the most menacing way she'd ever seen.

* * *

A/N: R&R please! Did you like it? I hope so! : )


	2. The New Charms Teacher

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be… *sighs*

A/N: Yes, I know that Neville is supposed to be Professor Sprout's replacement, but I found another job for him to do instead. ; ) Don't worry, it's not Potions or anything. XD

EAN: **Warning: Language.**

* * *

Chapter 2: The New Charms Teacher

"Hugo, c'mon! We've got to get on the train!" Rose called out. He was probably snogging Teddy somewhere…

"Okay, okay, I was just getting Hannah for you!" Hannah was her owl; how had she forgotten to get her?

"Oh… Thanks Hugo!"

"You're welcome," he said grudgingly, handing her the owl.

The two quickly said goodbye to their parents and boarded the train. Rose walked past the crowds of people and eventually found a mostly empty compartment.

"Hey, Rose!" Albus said, waving her in.

"Hey," Scorpius said simply.

"Hey guys… What's up?" she asked, sitting down in between them after putting her trunk and Hannah up in the compartment luggage rack.

"Nothin' much, just trying to avoid everyone else out there. What's up with you?"

"Nothing except for the fact that two weeks ago I found out who Hugo is dating!" Rose quickly recounted the story of the Diagon Alley trip to Albus, Scorpius throwing stuff in every few minutes.

"Teddy?" Albus said in disbelief when she finished. "I- He- They're- Oh my gosh! Are you _sure?"_

"I'm _sure,"_ she said firmly, Scorpius adding a nod of his head. "Oh, and sorry for how Teddy and Hugo acted, Scorp… You know how my family is…"

"Aw, it's no problem, I was kind of a jerk back there…"

"Maybe, but it was just because you knew they'd be suspicious otherwise."

"Yeah…"

"So then Teddy bought the condoms and _winked_ at Hugo?" Albus interrupted, suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Yes! It was _hilarious!_ Oh, you guys should have been there, it was priceless!"

"I wish I had been!" Scorpius said wistfully.

Rose laughed. "Yeah, it was _great._ Of course, Hugo yelled his head off at me after we left and Uncle George kept saying 'What the bloody hell?' and all that … but it was just _great."_

"So I guess Teddy and Hugo have been bad boys, huh? That's funny…" Albus leaned back in his seat, sticking his hands behind his head.

* * *

"Rose!"

She groaned. Here came her annoying older cousin James... "Hey James… Where's Lily?"

"Oh, I don't know, probably already in a carriage going up to the castle…"

Just then the person in question darted over. "Hey guys!" she said energetically. "What's up? Want to get a carriage together?"

"Sure, Lily."

The trio stepped into the nearest carriage and then were off to the castle. Sooner than expected, they were there.

As Rose's family, friends, and herself filed into the great hall and sat down at the long tables, she noticed something: The Charms teacher's chair was empty.

After the sorting, when she was just remembering why the chair was empty, a strong and yet slightly cautious voice sounded through the room. "Students of Hogwarts, I have some very important news to share with you," the headmaster declared. "This year, as some of you may or may not have noticed, the Charms seat is empty. However, during the last week, I have found a new teacher who I'm sure many of you will find suitable. He will also be the new Gryffindor head of house. If you will come out now, Ted?"

Rose thought she had heard wrong. _Ted?_ she thought. _Like, Teddy? No way. It has to be a different person._

"Oh. My. God," Hugo said in disbelief. "You're got to be _kidding_ me. There is _no_ way that-" He stopped talking with a gasp as _the_ Teddy walked out and shook the headmaster's hand. _The_ Teddy who was dating Hugo; _the_ Teddy that had bought the things that he had bought two weeks ago; _the_ Teddy that had crazy hair hanging in front of his face at all times - including now.

"Thank you, Neville - I-I mean sir. It's a pleasure to be working here now," Teddy said. He nodded to the applause from the house tables, flashing a small, shy smile. As Teddy was walking back to his chair, Hugo broke out into a huge grin - and then a groan of realization and horror.

"As our older students know and our younger students will soon find out, the forest is off limits to all of you who do not wish to get lost or eaten," Neville said, slightly humorously. "But on a brighter note, let the feast begin!"

The plates filled with food and the students all ate heartily. Soon after, the food vanished and was replaced with dessert. Puddings, cakes, cookies, and even some type of muggle treat appeared that someone said was called a Gingerbread House.

"How the _fuck_ am I going to get through Charms class this year?" Hugo moaned to himself, his head almost falling into the pudding that James slid under his face right at that moment.

A first year that was sitting near him gasped in alarm.

"What do you mean?" James asked curiously, ignoring the first year. He stole a small bite of Hugo's pudding. "It's just Teddy, it's not like he's gonna be evil or anything. He practically lived at our houses when we were younger."

Hugo just groaned some more, almost sounding like Moaning Myrtle.

"Oh, Hugo, look on the bright side," Rose said, rubbing his back sympathetically.

_"What_ bright side?"

"Well… At least you'll get good grades in Charms this year!"

"Yeah, like that'll do me much good," he said gloomily.

"Yeah, it's gonna be bloody, bloody hell for you, Weasley," Scorpius added knowingly from the other side of the Gryffindor table.

Hugo glared at him viciously, silently cursing him for getting in Gryffindor.

Suddenly the plates of food disappeared and Neville stood up. "Now that that is taken care of, I fully expect you all to get off to bed! Your heads of houses will lead you there, and then I hope that you will all get a good night's rest. Now go!"

Teddy descended from the staff table, walking towards the Gryffindor table with a small spring in his step. "This way, please!" He was already halfway towards the door.

Hugo practically jumped off the bench in his rush to follow him. "Teddy, wait!"

Rose hastily followed her brother down the hall, trying to stay close enough to listen without looking suspicious. Teddy looked over his shoulder as he was climbing the first staircase to see how close everyone was. Upon seeing that there wasn't anyone within hearing range except for her and a few third years, he leaned closer to Hugo and said, "Look Weasley, I don't have time for games right now. We can talk later."

_"Weasley?"_ Hugo whispered in outrage. "Why are you even here, Te-"

"That's _Professor Lupin_ to you."

"Okay, fine, _Professor,"_ Hugo spat. "Now why are you even here? I thought that-"

Teddy whirled towards Hugo. "Will you just be _quiet,_ Hugo? I _told_ you, we'll talk about this later!"

Hugo smirked with satisfaction for finally getting Teddy to say his name. "Fine, but make it soon," he snapped.

"Alright, every- Where … did all the … students go…" Teddy stood in front of the Fat Lady's portrait with a look of confusion on his face.

Rose laughed without mirth. "I had to _run_ to keep up with you two! Everyone is still two floors behind!"

"Oh…" Teddy blushed almost unnoticeably. He rushed back down the stairs and came back a few minutes later with the rest of the Gryffindors. "Sorry about that! Now, is everyone here?" A pause while people nodded. "Yes? Good. Alright, now the password for this term is 'pumpkins'! Everyone got it? Okay, this way please. Pumpkins!" The Fat Lady swung open for them, allowing them access into the common room. "Okay, boys on the left, girls on the right! You'll find that your trunks are already in your rooms. Goodnight everyone, and remember to come to Charms tomorrow!" After a few minutes of sleepy confusion and trampling of feet, Teddy asked in an undertone, "Rose and Hugo Weasley? Would you join me outside in the corridor for a moment?"

"Finally," Hugo muttered under his breath.

When most of the students had gone up to their rooms, Teddy lead the two out of the common room. "Alright, now I think that-"

"Teddy, would you _please_ stop talking to me like a teacher and instead talk to me like my boyfriend?" Hugo asked wearily, leaning against the wall.

Rose fidgeted nervously, unsure if she should leave or not.

"Fine," he said, grinding his teeth together. "Hugo, I'm _sorry._ I should have told you that I was going to be here this year, but I didn't. I wish I had. I thought that … I thought that it'd be alright, and that you wouldn't freak out. I was wrong… Obviously, we … we can't be together here. It would be against school rules for one thing, and for another, it would be horrible if anyone found out. But I promise that the second we get off the train at the end of term that things will go back to normal… I-I don't know what else I can say…"

"Pumpkins," Hugo cursed furiously, storming back into the common room.

Teddy stared on in helpless horror at the painting of the Fat Lady, who stared right back with widened eyes. "You better not tell," he threatened her. She simply moved her glance to rest on the background of her painting, inspecting something that they couldn't see. Teddy turned back to Rose. "Rose? Will you please- I- Rose, please make him understand. This was an opportunity that I couldn't refuse, and I want him to understand that I still … well, I … still … love him," he said quietly, small tears welling up in his eyes.

"Uh… Okay," she whispered, unsure of what else to say. Rose turned around to go back into the common room when Teddy grabbed her shoulder, spinning her back around.

"Wait. I want you to t-tell him what I just told you. All of it. Please." His eyes glistened, tears threatening to spill now. "I would tell him myself, but I don't think he'd listen. I need you to m-make him understand." His voice broke in awkward places, the tears falling down his cheeks. "I-I... Please."

Rose was silent, unsure of how to respond to this side of Teddy that he normally kept so carefully hidden under wraps. "I'll try," she said finally.

"T-thank you." He sat miserably against the wall, his knees pulled up to his chest. He let his head fall to his knees and he cried. Rose quickly sat down beside him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, letting him cry out his pain.

"Shh, it'll be alright. My brother's just a big jerk; you can ignore him."

"N-no, that's ju-just it. I'm the one at f-fault here," he sobbed. "I never should have ta-taken this job. I k-knew it would only lead to t-trouble… But no, I was l-low on money and I did it anyway. I didn't even tell Hugo. I should have at least warned you. Oh, why do I h-have to r-ruin everything?" he yelled out to the empty corridor, his voice echoing slightly. Luckily Filch and his cat had retired by Rose's second year, so there wasn't anyone to come running and find the new teacher lying in pieces in front of his house's portrait.

"Teddy, you've been my best friend since before I was born. I want you to know that I'll always love you. As a friend," Rose added quickly. "I hate to see you like this… So I'm going to get Hugo. I'll be right back." He nodded slowly, allowing her to go back into the common room.

Hugo was by the fireplace, ripping up an old newspaper and throwing it into the flames, glaring furiously at the flames. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice breaking on the last word.

Rose crouched down beside him, laying an arm against his back. "I want you to go back out there and talk to Teddy." It wasn't a question.

"What if I don't _want_ to talk to him?"

"Then I'll drag you out there by the scruff of your skinny neck."

His short laugh turned into a hiccup. "I still don't want to go out there. I'm not talking to him."

"Well, you asked for it." She grabbed his arm and literally dragged him into the hallway.

"Hey, stop that! I _said_ that I don't want to-" He abruptly stopped talking when he saw Teddy sitting in the corner, still crying. Taking one glance at his older companion, he sank to his knees beside him and said sincerely, "I'm sorry."

Teddy looked up into his eyes, hesitating for but a moment before he captured his lips in a sweet embrace.

Rose left as silently as she could, trying to avoid seeing whatever happened after snogging...


	3. First Lessons and Confessions

Disclaimer: If you think I own HP, well, think again.

EAN: **Warning: Language and suggestive themes.**

* * *

Chapter 3: First Lessons and Confessions

The next morning, Hugo was red-faced for most of breakfast; Teddy didn't look much better, to be honest. There were already rumors flying around the Gryffindor Tower about "the new teacher and the kids that he took out of the common room last night." Most of them knew that the siblings and Teddy had known each other since birth, but that didn't stop the suspicious glances that everyone kept shooting at the trio. It didn't help that they had walked into the Great Hall together, either.

"How old do you think that the new Charms teacher is, anyway? He looks no older than eighteen if you ask me," a small fourth year was saying to her friend. "Except, I haven't seen him around here the last few years… Do you think he went to Durmstrang or something?"

"He didn't go to Durmstrang. He went here. And he's twenty-five," Rose told her carelessly, ignoring the look of disappointment on her face. "But he does look much younger, doesn't he? But even if he wasn't twenty-five, I wouldn't get your hopes up, because he's already dating somebody." She wasn't quite sure what made her say it, but she instantly regretted it when Hugo looked up and glared at her viciously.

The girl's eyes widened. _"Who?"_ she inquired, ignoring her friend for a moment.

Rose panicked internally for a second. "I-I don't know, actually. But Teddy's my best friend, see? I mean, he's my Uncle's godson, and his parents died when he wasn't even a year old yet - in the battle with Voldemort - so we kind of grew up together… I-I don't know," she shrugged, hoping the topic was dead.

Unfortunately it wasn't. "Do you know if the person is part of the staff?"

Rose shook her head; no one on the staff was young enough to be with Teddy anyway.

"A student?"

At that, she choked on the toast that she had been chewing. "What makes you think that?" she asked.

The fourth year shrugged, looking slightly suspicious. "I don't. I just wanted to know if you knew anything, that's all." After that, she went back to gossiping with her friend quietly.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Hugo asked under his breath from across the table.

"I don't know," she lied through her teeth.

"Liar," he hissed, not exactly angry, but definitely upset. "You were talking about Teddy - I'm not deaf! But anyway, I don't care anymore. We broke up this morning."

She choked on the toast again. "You- You what? Why? And if you did, then … then why was he being so nice earlier? And why are you not more upset?" she demanded.

"It's only temporary. We don't want rumors to float around. We're going to do what he suggested in the first place: Don't be together here, but once we're off the train at the beginning of Christmas break, just … come out, I guess. We haven't really worked that part out yet. And when we do get back here … go back to what we're doing now. It'll be painful, but better than Teddy getting sacked or me getting expelled. It'll work out … I hope," he added quietly.

"Oh … I'm sorry about that…"

"Yeah, so am I…" He turned away from her, looking anywhere but at other people.

* * *

By the end of breakfast they had their schedules and were ready. First off was - Rose glanced down at her paper - Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws. As she scurried off to the lesson, Albus ran up to her. "Hey! Rose, hey!"

She ignored him, intent to get to her first lesson on time. "What, Albus?" she asked, trying to sound annoyed.

He fell into stride beside her, panting slightly. "Hey, what's the rush for? Trying to get away from me?" He chuckled breathily. "I wanted to ask you something."

She rolled her eyes. _"Well?_ What do you want to ask?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Um, it's about Scorpius…"

"What about him?" She was getting impatient.

"Well … never mind. He said that it would happen this way…"

Rose let the curiosity get the best of her. "Tell me or I'll hex you," I whispered. "Ginny taught me that Bat-Bogey curse, you know."

His eyes widened as they walked down the hall. "Rose, chill, okay? It's nothing. He just wanted me to ask you if … if you would talk to him during lunch."

"Oh … 'kay?" she said, noticing that she was in front of the Transfiguration door. "But only if-"

"Ah, there you two are!" a deep voice said. "Come in, come in!" Professor Jollypoc ushered the cousins inside the classroom. Jollypoc was this middle-aged wizard, probably in his forties by now, with short, graying hair and an understanding smile. He was one of Rose's favorite teachers.

Inside, Sarah and Scorpius were sitting next to each other. Sarah was Neville's daughter and she, too, was friends with Scorpius. Albus and Rose slid in beside them, greeting them quietly.

"Sarah! How's Ravenclaw doing?" she asked.

"Oh, same old, same old," Sarah said dismissively.

"How have-"

"Okay, class," Professor Jollypoc said from the front of the room, "today we will be doing human Transfiguration!" There was a rush of excited and nervous murmurs throughout the room. "Now, I want the two people on the left side of the tables to turn to each other and on the right the same thing. Good," he said after a moment, "now what we're going to do today is one of the most simple human Transfigurations there is: changing the color of one's eyebrow!"

After telling us the spell and practicing it on himself, everyone got to work trying to change their partner's eyebrow color.

"Dammit!" Scorpius cursed under his breath. He had just tried to change Rose's eyebrows to a neon blue color for the fifth time and had failed miserably yet again.

Laughing, she said, "Here, let me try." She tried the spell but nothing happened.

"Well, that didn't work too well," Scorpius said sarcastically.

"Oh, well- Wait, look! I changed half of it!" She picked up the mirror that they were supposed to be using and showed him that half of his golden eyebrow had been turned blue. He rolled his eyes and handed the mirror back to her. "So… Why did you want to talk to me at lunch?" she asked inconspicuously, putting the mirror back on the table.

He raised his half-blue and half-golden eyebrow at her curiously. She giggled; it looked really funny. "What? Why would I-" He glanced over at Albus, confused. Sarah turned around, too. Albus had turned both of her eyebrows dark purple.

Rose stared incredulously. "How did you do that?" she demanded of Albus. "How did you-"

He grinned. "James taught me."

"Very good, Albus! I like that purple color…" Jollypoc said, indicating Sarah's eyebrows. Rose jumped, they hadn't realized that he had came up beside them. "Ah, and I see that Rose has managed to turn half of Scorpius's eyebrow blue! Very good! Keep at it class!"

* * *

After Transfiguration Rose had Potions with Professor Karawing, then Herbology with Neville. Even though he was the Headmaster, he was subbing for Professor Lemonroot.

Arm in arm with Scorpius, Rose glanced down at her schedule again. Next was - she gasped in surprise - _Charms._ And to make matters worse, apparently the fifth and seventh years were joining them for some odd reason today. None of the other houses, just fifth, sixth, and seventh year Gryffindors... _Strange,_ she thought.

"This'll be interesting!" said Scorpius, looking over her shoulder at the paper she held. "Hmm, I wonder if they printed it out wrong?" he mused.

"Probably not… Ah, who knows and who cares! Anyway, what ever the reason, I'm sure it'll be a good lesson…" Suddenly someone grabbed her shoulder. She spun around to see that it was Hugo, wide-eyed and furious.

"What the bloody hell are you doing, Rose? Why the fuck are you arm in arm with _Malfoy?"_ spat Hugo. "Shit, I was just walking to class - Teddy's class, no less! - and then I see _you_ and _him_ together!"

"Hey, don't say that about Scorpius!" she said without thinking.

Hugo raised his eyebrows. _"What?"_ he asked in surprise. "Why are you… Oh my gosh! Are you _dating?"_

Scorpius scoffed. "Of course not! I wouldn't be dating Rose i-if … if- No, we're not," he said quietly, decisive.

"Well… Then why are you hanging out together?"

Rose sighed. _"Because._ Albus, Sarah, Scorpius, and I are _friends._ Got that?"

Hugo looked slightly confused. "Okay… Um, if you say so…" He was thoroughly unconvinced.

"Guys, if we're going to get to class on time we better hurry. I wouldn't put it past Teddy to give us detention. Well, maybe not you, Hugo, but Rose and me." Scorpius smirked knowingly.

"How did you… Why does _everyone_ know about me and Teddy?" Hugo muttered angrily to no one in particular.

"Yeah… That just kind of happened. Anyways, let's go!"

The three walked along the hallways for a few minutes, finally arriving at the doorway that they all knew so well.

"Hey Hugo, hey Rose, hey- _Malfoy?"_ James said in surprise.

Rose groaned. Not this again! She quickly explained everything again, then walked into class with her companions. Teddy greeted James and her warmly, coldly ignoring Scorpius, who walked to an empty table in the middle of the class. Then Teddy turned to Hugo, whispering to him urgently. Rose glanced behind herself to see that they were arguing about something, both of them looking very nervous.

"But, but- Why? I thought you said-"

"Just _relax,"_ Teddy soothed. "I'll take care of it. It'll be no big deal. Only the older Gryffindors are here today. I did that for this exact reason."

"Teddy," Hugo whispered gently. "We don't have to do this… In fact, it'd probably be better if we didn't… I could get expelled and you could get sacked…"

Teddy glanced around, probably noticed that Rose was listening, and said, "Hugo, people are watching, let's just get this over with."

Hugo turned around, looking worried, and followed Rose and James to where Scorpius was sitting. The three sat down beside him and watched to see what Teddy would do next.

He fidgeted nervously for a minute, then sat down in his chair. "Okay, now for today, we're going to be learning a charm for contraception and avoiding STDs."

There were a few grins among the students. Hugo groaned in horror - he hadn't known this was today's lesson - and Rose shifted uncomfortably away from Scorpius.

"The spell is _'Unfertio'._ Now, since obviously we're not going to be having sex in class, we're going to - erm - use the spell on these dolls…" He conjured up a box full of dolls out of thin air; their bellies read "Unprotected".

"Wave your wand like this…" He showed us a complicated type of figure eight movement. "And say _'Unfertio'!_ If the spell works, the dolls are enchanted to change from 'Unprotected' to 'Protected'. Now, this spell only works for three hours and, as all contraception goes, it doesn't always work. So if any of you happen to get naughty, remember that even if you're an expert at the spell, it still won't always work well enough." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

A few girls giggled in the back and Hugo looked even sicker than he had a minute ago; Rose patted his back sympathetically.

_"Wingardium Leviosa!"_ He sent two dolls flying to each of the students. He made a point of letting Scorpius's dolls hit him square in the face. He scowled in response.

"When is someone going to explain to him that I _don't_ plan on making your lives hell?" Scorpius muttered under his breath. "I'm not my father … or my grandfather for that matter…"

Hugo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, then whispered, _"Unfertio!"_ His dolls immediately read "Protected." He blushed deep scarlet and hid his head under the table again.

"Nice, Hugo. Teddy teach you that yesterday?" Scorpius chortled, reaching over Rose to pat Hugo, who evaded him, on the back roughly. _"Unfertio!"_ Nothing happened. "Damn. _Unfertio!"_ Scorpius muttered a few curses, again trying the spell. _"Unfertio... Unfertio! UNFERTIO!"_ Finally Scorpius's spell worked, so he started to again cast the spell on the second doll.

Rose nervously placed the two dolls in front of herself. _"Unfertio!"_ The dolls didn't change. It took several more tries before she finally got the wand movement correct and the incantation right, and it took the rest of the class even longer.

_"Accio Dolls!"_ Teddy said when everyone had finished, and promptly got pelted with the enchanted toys. "Ah! _Wingardium Leviosa!"_ The dolls stopped in the air, floating quietly. "There, that's better." A few people laughed politely as Teddy lowered the dolls back into their box and stuffed it under his desk.

Fixing his robes where the dolls had hit him, Teddy said, "Alright, now you're probably wondering why I've gotten fifth, sixth, and seventh year Gryffindors together here today… Well, the reason is that I want to be truthful to all of my house that is old enough to understand the complex situation that I'm about to explain to you all." There were murmurs from confused students and almost everyone was staring at Teddy intently. He fidgeted a bit, staring nervously at his desk. "Okay… Well, the truth is that I'm going out with someone." A few grins and wolf whistles made their way around the room. Hugo covered his face with his hands in horror. Apparently this was what they were talking about... "A student." Suddenly the whistles stopped. There was a shocked silence. "And I'd like him, if he still feels okay with it, to do something to let everyone know who he is."

_"He?"_ a seventh year girl from the back row said incredulously. "You mean that you're-"

Teddy was trying to compose himself. "Yes, I am gay… And proud of it," he said firmly, no longer nervous. "And if my boyfriend would _please_ be alive for five seconds-"

Rose shoved Hugo out of his seat, earning herself a scared glare. Yes, it was extremely mean, but she was sick of this.

"There you are!" Teddy said brightly, grinning. "Want to introduce yourself, or should I?" Hugo shook his head vigorously and sat back down. Teddy laughed. "Fine, _Hugo Weasley._ Have it your way." Hugo looked scared to death.

"You're a pedophile!" the same seventh year girl shrieked, standing up. "A pervert!" A few people stared at her blankly.

And then a girl shouted from behind the other girl, _"Stupefy!"_ And then, _"Obliviate!"_

"Thanks, Cecilia," Hugo murmured. She probably couldn't hear him.

"Well, that was … interesting," Teddy murmured. "Yes, as Hugo said, thank you, Cecilia." The girl took a modest bow of her head, sitting back in her seat. "Um, you should all probably hurry off to lunch now… I'll take care of her." He indicated the girl that had been stupefied. "Go along now."

The class hurriedly left the room, but Rose noticed that _someone_ stayed behind a bit longer…

* * *

EAN: It's probably NOT a good thing that I don't know what was supposed to happen next... Well, I'm done editing now. I'll probably write more in … eh, a few days. I'm behind on writing my novel, I have tons of other story ideas floating around in my head, and I don't know where to take this story now. Brilliant, right?


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